What can cause insanity?

[Lord George]

I don't think anyone is insane, its just a different way of looking at things, I've got schizophrenia but I'm not insane, I function better then a large portion of humanity at any rate.

 

[xXGeckoXx]

As a psych student, i have a lot of info to share on a subject so complex as mental disorders. Insanity is a misnomer because it doesnt denote any particular affliction or mental state. I have only found one way to succinctly explain such a complicated series of events that may lead to mental break down:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-CehxoJy0I

*Gasp* *Begins counting bullets* Ohh wait.........Just one. And a knife. And some hooks...

AND a 4chan poster.

 

[sorry user name taken.]

the color pink


-___-

Actually prolonged exposure to the colour yellow can make a person go mad.

oh thats the one!


I'm not to fond of the color pink though...

 

[Lyri]

oh thats the one!
I'm not to fond of the color pink though...

Touche can't argue with that, mind you i can't argue with much on the ways on insanity.
I prance around with a top hat on most of the time.

*shrugs*
C'est la vie.

 

[chefassassin2]

"Insanity" is a lot less theatrical then the Joker would imply. Primarily, its genetics and drugs. It eventually manifests, and the person can't take care of themselves. It's generally not funny or insidious. Generally, a person doesn't just snap and fall into a fantasy world. The Mental illness that is usually considered Insanity is Schizophrenia, and it has that genetic factor. Great shocks and stress may cause things like Post Traumatic Stress, Depression, other things that arn't exactly considered Insane, but rather Ill. In incredibly rare situations, a shock might bring about Dissociative Identity Disorder (updated name for Multiple Personalities). People might consider that, "Insane", but real DID is nothing like Multiple Personalities as it has been displayed to the public. I think the word, "Insane" has this connotation to it of theatrics, darkly illuminating and insidious. The State mental hospital is just down the street from me, and let me tell you, its nothing like that, its sad and depressing.

I was trying to think of exactly how to say it, but you got there before me. Anyway, thank you for adding a serious explanation to a question people answer too lightly.

 

[Avida]

Sanity is what causes insanity I'm afraid

 

[Hobofisherman]

1/3 of people suffer with some form of mental illness in their life time, whether it be something as common as depression, or something seriously damaging such as dementia. Yes things can make people go round the bend, such as people who suffered from shell shock in WWI for example, but personal experiences aside, most mental illness is genetic or genetically presdisposed.

You have to take into account however, that just because a person has a 'crazy' gene as we could call it, doesn't mean the gene is active. You could have 4 kids, who go on to have 2 children each, you develop dementia by the age of 70, and the condition might not resurface in your descendants for decades, or might not even be hereditary at all! Genetics is a mine field of what if's and what might have been's.

Genes and genetic predisposition aside, there could just be one event in someone's life where their mind just can't take it anymore. Its tragic, but it happens.

 

[Willwillwritehiswill]

Insomnia can do it quite well.

 

[Trivun]

Actually, if anyone's reading my short story Digs on here, then one of the characters (no spoiler, sorry) has had a pretty screwed up life to the point that the character in question is almost certainly insane. You'll find out more when you read, but the reason will come soon enough...

 

[Lavi]

Bill O'Reilly.